Carl meier



No. 613,456. Patented Nov. I, I898. C. MEIER.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR BICYCLES OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed. May 6, 1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet l (.No mo el.)

lvzvavv%r C207"! Weak? No. 613,456. Patented Nov. I, I898.

C. MEIER.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR BIGYCLES OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed May 67, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

CARL MEIER, or NEU-RUPPIN, GERMANY.

PEDAL MECHANISM FOR BICYCLES OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,456, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed May 6, 189?. Serial No. 635,438. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CARLMEIER, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Heinrichstr. 1, Neu-Ruppin, Prussia, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pedal Mechanisms for Bicycles and the Like, (for which I have received patents in England, dated May 8, 1897, No. 7,442; in France, dated June 29, 1897, No. 265,253; in Belgium, dated April 15, 1897, No. 127,146; in Italy, dated May 24,1897, No. 44,194, and in Canada, dated July 28, 1897, No. 56,832,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in pedal mechanisms for bicycles and the like, and has for its object to provide meansvwhereby the path described by the pedal will be eccentric relative to the crank-shaft, thusv increasing the leverage upon one side of said shaft, while decreasing it upon the reverse side, and in the several embodiments of my invention this is accomplished by causing the pedals to either travel in an elliptical or irregular path, which will bring the pedals in a most advantageous relation to the crank-shaft when force is being applied thereon. With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of one form of my invention, the broken line representing the path of the pedal. Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of my improvement.

In carrying out my invention as shown in Fig. 1 the stationary gear I) is secured concentric with the shaft a and an arm 0 secured upon said shaft, and a gear f is also journaled in one end of this arm, while a similar gear f is journaled in the opposite end thereof. These two gears mesh with the stationary gear and when revolved about the latter accomplish two revolutions upon their axes for every revolution of the arm a, as is well understood; A short crank g is secured upon a short shaft c, upon which the gear f is secured, and revolves therewith, while a shorter crank m is secured upon the short shaft d, upon which the gear f is secured, and revolves therewith. The pedal-crank is pivoted at h to the crank g and connected, by means of the stud 01, passing through the slots, to the shorter shaft m. The result of ,this construction is that when the pedal crank has revolved through the medium of the pedal p said pedal is caused to describe a slightlyelliptical curve, as shown in broken lines, on account of the difference in throw of the cranks g and m and a further fact that the crank m is attached to the pedal-crank by a slot, while the crank g'is pivotally attached thereto. The embodiment of my invention as illustrated in Fig. 2 contemplates the securement of a stationary gear I) concentric with the crank-shaft a, and the arm 0 being secured to said shaft, in which are j ournaled the gearwheels f and f, as before set forth; but these gear-wheels have attached to their shafts e and d the short cranks g and g, of equal length, while to these cranks is pivoted at h and h the pedal-crank r, said crank being adapted to receive the pedal at the point 7c. Now, as is obvious, the revolving of the crank '1' will bring about the revolving of the arm 0, and this in turn will cause the gear-wheels f and f to rotate upon their axes, while at the same time revolving around the crank-shaft a, and, as already stated, this movement will cause the gear-wheels f and f to rotate twice upon their axes for every complete revolution of the arm a, which will impart to they outer end of the pedal-crank a motion which will cause the point 70 to describe the path indicated by the broken line :0.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. A crank mechanism for bicycles consisting of a crank-shaft, a stationary gear mounted concentric therewith, an arm mounted on the shaft, short shafts secured in the ends of the arm, gears on said shafts meshing with the first-named gear, cranks on the outer ends of the short shafts and a pedal-crank having two arms extending therefrom each one being pivoted at its end to one of the cranks on the short shafts, substantially as described.

nected with the cranks on the gears, as and 10 for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my 2. A crank mechanism consisting of a stahand in presence of two witnesses. tionary gear, an arm rotatably mounted conx I 4 L centric with the gear, movable gears rotata- CA1 J MEITR bly mounted on the ends of the arm meshing Witnesses: with the first-named gear, cranks provided HEINRICH BRANDT, on the last-named gears, a pedal-crank con- I CARL YAMHON. 

